EU Family Member Residence Card in Barcelona (EX-19)

If you are not an EU or EEA national and you are moving to Spain with, or joining, a partner or relative who is, you can live here for more than three months, but you have to apply for and obtain the residence card of a family member of a Union citizen (tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión). The application uses the EX-19 form and is regulated by article 8 of Royal Decree 240/2007. You have three months from your entry into Spain to apply.

We review your file, including foreign marriage and partnership certificates, prepare the application, book the appointments for the card and follow it until it is issued. Our EU family member residence card service costs 300 € + VAT. Official fees are paid separately.

Who it is for

• Spouses and registered partners of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who live, or are going to live, in Spain.
• Other family members covered by Royal Decree 240/2007, where they are dependent on the EU citizen and can prove it.
• Family members who are accompanying the EU citizen now, or joining them after the EU citizen has already settled here.

If your partner is Spanish, the route is different and we tell you which one applies. Since Royal Decree 1155/2024, family members of Spanish citizens follow their own procedure, so do not prepare an EX-19 file on that basis.

Why the order of steps matters

Your card depends on the status of your EU family member. Among the documents you have to submit is their EU registration certificate, so in practice the EU citizen registers first and you apply afterwards. If they are not registered yet, that is the first thing we sort out, through our EU registration certificate service.

The other point is time. The three-month window starts on the day you enter Spain, and both steps have to fit inside it. Start in your first weeks here rather than waiting until the end.

Once you have applied, you are given a receipt immediately. That receipt is enough to prove your legal stay in Spain until the card is delivered. The card must be issued within three months of the application, and a favourable decision has retroactive effect from the proven date of your entry.

What the file contains

We tell you exactly which form and documents apply to your case. As a general picture, the regulation asks for:

• A valid passport. If it has expired, a copy together with the application for its renewal.
• Proof of the family link: the marriage certificate or the certificate of registered partnership, translated and apostilled or legalised where applicable.
• The EU registration certificate of your EU family member.
• Proof of being dependent on the EU citizen, where your case requires it.
• Three recent colour passport photos on a white background.

Foreign marriage and partnership certificates

This is where most of the work is. A certificate issued abroad may need an apostille or legalisation, depending on the country, and a translation into Spanish. Getting this wrong usually means going back to the issuing country for a new document, which eats into the three months you have. We check your certificates before anything is filed, tell you whether they are usable as they are and, if not, what is missing.

What we do

1. Case study. We confirm that the EX-19 is your route, and not the route for family members of Spanish citizens or another authorisation.
2. File review. We check the passport, the family link documents, the EU certificate and, where needed, the proof of dependency.
3. Application. We prepare the application for the Oficina de Extranjeros of the province, or the Police where that applies.
4. Appointments for the card. We book the appointments the procedure needs and follow your file until you collect the card.
5. Follow-up until the card is issued.

What is included

• Review of your whole file, including foreign certificates, translations and apostilles.
• The EX-19 application and the official fee forms.
• Appointment booking for the card.
• Follow-up of the application until the card is issued.

The card is valid for five years from its issue, or for the planned residence period of the EU citizen if that is shorter. When it is close to expiry, see our residence permit renewal service.

Common mistakes

• Applying before the EU partner is registered. Their registration certificate is part of your file.
• Letting the three months run out while documents are being gathered.
• Foreign certificates without an apostille, legalisation or translation where they are required.
• Using the EX-19 when the partner is Spanish. That case has its own route.
• Not documenting dependency when it is a requirement for your relationship.
• Applying with an expired passport without including the renewal application.

Prices

• EU family member residence card: 300 € + VAT. File review including foreign certificates, application, appointments for the card and follow-up.
• EU registration certificate for your EU family member: 200 € + VAT.
• Residency pack for EU citizens: 200 € + VAT. The certificate with document review, the empadronamiento and a case study.

Official fees are paid separately. All our prices are shown without VAT. More options are listed on our packs and services page.

Frequently asked questions

Does my EU partner need to register before I apply? Yes. The EU registration certificate of your family member is one of the documents in your file, so they register first.

How long do I have to apply? Three months from your entry into Spain.

Can I stay in Spain while the card is being processed? Yes. You receive a receipt when you apply, and it proves your legal stay until the card is delivered.

How long is the card valid? Five years from issue, or the planned residence period of your EU family member if that is shorter.

My partner is Spanish. Is this the right card for me? No. Family members of Spanish citizens follow a different route since Royal Decree 1155/2024. Tell us your situation and we will confirm which one applies.

Requirements, fees and procedures can change, so we confirm the current ones for your case before you file.